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Monday, June 18, 2007

I have noticed in the past few months that there has been more said about Paris and other celebs in the national media then the war, immigration, and gas prices.

Why do you think this is? I have an idea. I think that the media has figured out that people don't want to hear about all of the "bad" things. Because if they knew what was going on they would actually have to deal with it. People would rather hear about other peoples problems (like Paris in jail) then issues that actually affect them. It makes sense to me that they would want to hear about things going on that actually affect them...that way they would know what they can do to make sure they have a say the outcome.

There are many bills being tossed around in government that we should be aware of and make a choice about. We need to let our representatives and on up the ladder know how we feel.

What it boils down to is this...

In ten years when things have ended up in a mess and you begin to realize that the nation is in trouble...if you never took notice and voted...then you don't have a place to complain.

I am hoping that in 10 years we can all look back and realize that we did make a difference and helped the nation get back on track by making our voices heard instead of sitting back and thinking "oh, someone else will do it."

BE someone!

I am curious of a few things:1. Your age?2. Did you vote in the last Pres. Election? Why or why not?3. Who are you leaning towards in the coming election? Why?4. Who is the Speaker of the House?5. Who is serving time in jail and misses her dog?

Thank you for taking the time to answer these to give us an idea of where we are as a nation!

"Men who have sex with drunken women face a higher risk of being convicted for rape even if the alleged victim appears to give her consent, under reforms suggested by the government.

A new white paper is expected to propose that judges should give far firmer guidance to juries in cases where there is a question over whether a woman claiming she was raped wascapable of giving or withholding consent to sex.

If she was deemed so drunk she was incapable, the man would be far more likely to be convicted of rape.

The change would mark a significant departure from the current law, under which a man can escape conviction if he can convince the jury he believed a woman wanted sex, even if she was drunk.

Police recorded 14,449 allegations of rape in 2005, one of the highest figures ever. However, only a fraction of rape cases ever reach court – about 12% – and few of those which do result in convictions.

The white paper will leave far more discretion to judges and juries than would have been the case under an earlier proposal to have legally determined thresholds of alcohol consumption above which a woman would be deemed incapable.

The government’s decision will disappoint those demanding more hard and fast rules to ensure more convictions. But the final version of the white paper follows a pivotal ruling by appeal court judges earlier this year.

They declared it would be “unrealistic” to create a “grid system” on alcohol consumption in rape cases, because people’s ability to cope with drink varies so greatly.

Ministers describe the appeal court decision in March as “incredibly useful” because it set a legal precedent. They say it has exposed the need for more help for juries considering such cases.

Benjamin Bree, a 25-year-old software engineer, was initially sentenced to five years in jail for raping a 19-year-old student in her halls of residence at Bournemouth University after she convinced a jury she was too drunk to consent to sex.

But the deputy lord chief justice, Sir Igor Judge, sitting with Lady Justice Hallett and Mrs Justice Gloster, overturned the conviction, arguing the jury had not been given clear enough directions.

They ruled that capacity to consent “could evaporate” well before someone became unconscious, but whether this was so “depended on the actual state of mind of the individuals involved on the particular occasion”.

A minister involved in the proposed rape law reforms said: “On cool reflection, it is clear we cannot have some sort of hard and fast law about how much drink is too much drink. What we need to do is provide better training for judges and juries on how to decide whether a woman was capable of consent.”

Other proposals in the white paper include the introduction of a “victim’s advocate”, who is not a lawyer, to give practical support to rape victims through bringing their cases to court and to help them see their way through fears and doubts about the court case.

A pilot project in which alleged victims of domestic abuse were assigned such representatives led to a significant increase in conviction rates.

However, the white paper is not expected to include proposals floated last year to allow expert witnesses to explain the psychological impact of the crime on women in court.

The government examined whether this might help juries understand why some rape victims show little emotion when describing their ordeals in court. In some cases, defence lawyers have successfully argued that the woman’s behaviour is inconsistent with someone who has suffered such a trauma.

However, ministers have concluded that allowing psychologists to give evidence would be fraught with difficulty and could lead to an American-style “trial of expert witnesses”.

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I would like to hear your opinions about this topic before I share mine! :D I am leaning one way with what I think but before I share I would like to hear your take on the issue! I know you have an opinion...so...lets hear it!

I really believe that, as a nation, we are slipping into a state of apathy and that we need to wake up. If we don't wake up now...10 or 15 years from now it will be too late. This site is my attempt to keep people informed by posting news and relevant information with the idea that a free opinion exchange should occur. I want people to comment and respond to comments... even if you disagree...especially if you disagree! I think it is better that we care and disagree then to not care at all.

The only way we are going to make a difference is to care enough to say something!